ESCAPE (1)

Her heartbeat, and the sound of her feet hitting the concrete was all the music she heard. She had prayed, cried, dreamt and wished for this for so long, even now, it feels unreal. She couldn't stop, if for no reason but to convince herself that this was really happening. Finally! Her heartbeat sounded louder and faster. "Thank God" was all her brain could think of. She'd rather die than stop running. Her feet hurt. The flip-flops were not making it easy for her to run, but she would rather manage the pain than stop to take the footwear off.
"Just a little further", she thought. She won't celebrate until she is someplace safe. The image of his fist making contact with her nose and the familiar taste of her blood in her mouth made her run faster. She needs to get away. Far away from this place. "Thank God, thank God, thank God..." she mouthed continuously.
She saw the light from the car before she heard the sound of the car. With nowhere else to run to, she jumped into the shallow drainage system. During the months of being locked up in that room, she had memorized the sound of everyone's car on this side of the estate. Mr. Oluwale's car. She stayed completely still, squatting in the gutters, not feeling the waste water pass between her legs nor perceiving the stench. "I can't go back God, please, I can't go back there", she prayed under her breath. Mr. Oluwale's car passed by thankfully. Out of the gutters she came, and footwear in hand, she ran like her life depended on it. Her life does depend on it. If she's caught now, he will definitely kill her!
She saw light again. Not car lights this time. The good light. The one she had prayed, cried, dreamt, and wished to see all these months! Finally! But she can't celebrate now. It's not over yet. The light of her dreams, flowing from the light bulbs at the security post, the only thing standing between her and her freedom. Now came the hard part. She hadn't thought that far. How does she get past the security post and the security personnel without being seen and raising suspicions? "God help me, please, God help me", she prayed. She crossed to the other side of the road which was darker and took off the shirt she had on leaving on the tank top. The air felt cold on her back but she barely noticed. Thankful for the darkness which hid the scars on her body. Her once porcelain-like skin. "This is not the time to cry",  she said to herself. She plastered a smile on her face and began jogging slowly. "Blind them that they don't see me O God!" she prayed.
As she got closer to the security post, she began doubting herself. "What if they become suspicious and stop me, or see the scars", she thought. They would take her back to the house! No!! She'd rather kill herself than go back. She was closer now. She counted three security men, two inside the small security building, and one at the pedestrian gate. She jogged towards the gate. "God please let them not be suspicious." she prayed, for the umpteenth time. She was already too close to go back. "Good evening Mrs. Benson." said the security man at the gate. Her heart literally dropped!


- The Lady

         “Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.”

                                           Psalms‬ ‭122:9‬